The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need
by Dixie Darlin
Summary: When a Regional Hunt threatens Tod's family, he must rely on his friend Copper to help them out. But the hound has problems of his own, including winning the affections of a lady dog, and Tod's plea causes a wide series of events.
1. A New Danger

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

A/N: Okay, this is the first part of a three-part series I have to continue the legacy of this movie, which happens to be my favorite Disney film! And to those who know me in the Recess column, no I have not stopped writing for it, I've just hit major writer's block, and needed a break. But I hope you all enjoy this!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need  
**  
**Chapter One: A New Danger**  
  
The breeze that was felt across the forest was gladly welcomed by its inhabitants. The summer heat always managed to strike early in the season. The leaves were a rich green color and new life was in the area, including a very lucky fox family.  
  
Tod, who had been orphaned as a cub and raised by the loving Widow Tweed, smiled proudly at his mate Vixey as she groomed their two newly born cubs. They had been born just the previous night and Tod had never been happier.  
  
"They're just beautiful, aren't they, Vixey?" he asked as one of the cubs gave a yawn and laid its head down on the soft pine straw bedding Vixey had made them. He chuckled. "I thought you said you wanted SIX cubs."  
  
"I did," the female fox sighed as she looked down lovingly at her children. "But I suppose two is enough for now. We can always have more."  
  
"As many as you like. What should we call them?" Tod asked, changing the subject. "They do need names, you know."  
  
Vixey put on a look of concentration. "Hm, one's a boy and one's a girl...hm, I don't know, Tod, you come up with something."  
  
"O-kay, how about–" he thought heavily. "How about for the girl...Autumn. She's the color of the fallen leaves."  
  
Vixey looked at her daughter, who was at present trying to wiggle away from her brother. "That's a lovely name. She DOES have a nice rich color to her, doesn't she? But what about her brother?"  
  
Tod watched as the boy cub swung his head around to nibble on Autumn's ear. Although he only had baby teeth, they must still have hurt for the little girl gave a squeal. Tod started laughing but Vixey hushed them and brought them closer to her. Autumn stayed put in her mother's arms but the boy seemed desperate to wander off.  
  
"He moves pretty fast for little guy, huh?" Tod pointed out. "Hey, how does Swift sound for a name?"  
  
"I like it...Swift and Autumn, our first babies," Vixey said softly as she herded Swift up and cuddled with them.  
  
Tod would have bent down and cuddled along with them if he hadn't heard a faint noise from outside. His pointy ears shot up and he jerked his head towards the den's entrance. Vixey heard something too, and she tensed up. The cubs started whimpering, not understanding what was going on. Tod glanced at Vixey, whispered for her to stay there, and carefully crept out of the den.  
  
He poked his head out first before completely exiting. He smelt the air. Strange, there wasn't a scent of human anywhere. Ever since the red fox had a few run-ins with hunter Amos Slade, he had learned to be wary of huntsmen. Tod quietly made his way through the brush to find what it was he had heard. It was so quiet–not even the usual songbirds could be heard.  
  
After maybe fifteen minutes of heart-pounding silence and stealthily making his way across the forest, Tod came to a clearing. Careful not to be seen by anyone or anything that might be there, he stuck his head out of a nearby bush. With his keen eyes he could make out a sign of smoke in the distance, about two miles away. Curious, he reached a foot out to get closer but the sound of a dog made him stop in his tracks. No, make that TWO dogs. No, more than two, it was a whole slew of dogs. And mixed in with the howling and barking, Tod could hear human voices–not just one human, but many humans. What was going on here?  
  
Not wanting to endanger himself or his family, Tod turned tail and quickly (but quietly) ran back to his den. He didn't understand the details, but he knew that they were in trouble. A group of dogs and a group of humans that large could only mean one thing–hunting. And with their size, they could cover acres and miles of territory–they might even reach Vixey and the cubs. Tod raced home, trying to think of a way he could possibly protect them. Somehow, someway, he knew deep-down he was going to have to transport them to a far away home, away from this new danger.

* * *

Along a dusty dirt road near where Tod had seen the smoke rising up at, an old jeep came bouncing up and down as it sped over the bumpy surface. The driver, an elderly hunter by the name of Amos Slade, kept a firm grip on the steering wheel. He glanced over at his bloodhound-mix, Copper, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat. The dog didn't look to comfortable being jostled about and eventually gave up on using his claws to hold on to the seat. He simply laid down along the seat and suffered it out.  
  
Amos figured that if Copper was having no luck in being comfortable then he knew his old dog, a gray-colored Trigg hound named Chief, was having even worse luck. He was sitting in the back with the luggage, much to his disliking, and being tossed around with the boxes and supplies was not his idea of fun.  
  
"Just hang on, boys, we're almost there," Amos promised them as the jeep trudged along the road at a slow and steady pace. "When we DO get there, we're going to have a bit of fun, huh?"  
  
Copper had no idea where they were headed, but wherever it was had better be worth the trouble of this headache of a ride. He held his head up and turned it to where Chief was hanging on to a box in an attempt to stay inside the truck.  
  
"Hey, Chief?" he asked the older dog as the truck gracefully hit a pothole. "Where exactly are we going? The Master never said."  
  
"To this regional hunt thing that happens every year," Chief answered. He saw the look of confusion etched on Copper's face, so he sighed and explained. "It's where all the hunters and dogs from a certain place group up and have a contest on who brings in the most game."  
  
A regional hunt? Wow, that sounded like fun to Copper even if he had only been hunting for little over a year now. To him, hunting wasn't just a job, it was a favorite past-time. He enjoyed getting to put his nose to good use out on the field. Except for when he went after his best friend earlier that year–a fox named Tod. They had been childhood pals, but Copper had left to begin his training in the art of hunting. When he returned, an accident occurred which included Chief suffering a broken leg, so Copper had gone after Tod in revenge. Only after a showdown with a ferocious bear did things patch up between the two of them.  
  
Copper suddenly wondered how his old friend was doing ever since he became a resident of forest life. He hadn't seen the fox since that day of the bear attack. Perhaps it was for the better–if Tod came around, things would just get crazy all over again. Amos would want to blow the fox's head off, Chief would want to rip his throat out–Copper just couldn't handle the conflict again. He was just glad his two elder friends didn't know of his secret friendship with Tod–now THAT would be bad.  
  
Okay, that's it for chapter one, will Tod and Copper run into each other eventually? What's to happen when they do? Gotta keep reading to find out, and PLEASE review!! 


	2. Confrontations

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: I highly recommend seeing the movie, it is awesome! And it will make this story make a lot more sense as well! Hope you keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need****Chapter Two: Confrontations**  
  
Vixey was just starting to get worried when Tod finally returned to their home. She saw the look of distress on his face and her stomach got tight.  
  
"Tod? Tod, what happened?" she asked softly, hoping nothing too serious was going on. She didn't want anything risking the lives of her children.  
  
"Vixey, there's a problem," Tod told her quickly. "About two miles west is a large group of hunters and dogs camping out. I saw the smoke from a fire and I heard barking and mens' voices."  
  
Vixey's ears laid back against her head. Hunters, here in this secluded area of the forest? She didn't think it possible! "But–Tod, they're not going to come close to _us_ are they?"  
  
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that they will," Tod admitted. He looked at Autumn and Swift as they slept together against their mother. He didn't want to lose them. "We have only one choice–we'll have to leave and find somewhere else to live."  
  
Vixey stared at him in disbelief. "Leave? But, where would go? How are we going to travel with two newborn cubs? We'll only be endangering them, they aren't ready to leave the den yet!"  
  
"Maybe you could carry one and I could carry the other," he suggested, not really having a plan in mind. "I haven't worked out all the details yet."  
  
"Tod, if we both carry a cub," Vixey started, getting upset by the whole issue. "I mean, what if something happens, like we get attacked by a wolverine or a mountain lion or something? How are we going to fight it with a baby in our mouths?"  
  
He hadn't thought of that. It would be difficult and dangerous to travel in that fashion. If only they had someone who could act as a look- out for them as they traveled through the forest. Someone strong enough to fight any dangerous predators that may approach as they carried the children off safely. Big Mama would be no help, besides she was back home where she lived in a tree beside Widow Tweed's farm. Dinky and Boomer were definitely of no use here, what with them so clumsy and all. What could they possibly do?

* * *

Copper lifted himself up from his seat and placed his front paws on top of the windshield's frame to look out better. He could see the smoke from what he thought might be a huge fire, perhaps a sign that they were close to this campground place. He still was unsure as to what this regional hunt was all about, but if it involved hunting then he was all for it.  
  
Not long after seeing the smoke, the group drove into the entrance of what Copper recognized as a meeting place. Golly, he had never seen so many dogs and humans in one place before in his life! All kinds of dogs were scattered everywhere including retrievers, spaniels, hounds, even some terriers. He wagged his long tail in excitement. This was going to be fun!  
  
Amos parked the jeep in an empty spot suitable for setting up a camp area for themselves. The two dogs jumped down, glad the trip was finally over. Chief was careful not to put too much pressure on his left hind-leg. Although it had been broken nearly two months ago thanks to an unsuccessful fox hunt and a train engine, he was just a little wary of applying force to it, in fear that it would break again. It was still healing up and it did hurt the slightest bit when he ran, but other than that he only had a hardly noticeable limp.  
  
Copper still felt guilty about that accident, feeling that if he had not let Tod escape that night then Chief would have never started chasing him along the railroad tracks and gotten himself nearly killed by an engine. He remembered that night like it happened yesterday, it was the scariest five seconds of his life when he heard that blood-curdling yelp of pain and as he watched his old friend falling down from the bridge, ramming into some boulders along the way.  
  
Copper shook his head to clear the horrible memory from his mind. He was going to have fun here at this camp and he was going to put the past behind him. Just as long as Chief didn't find out the truth of that night's events, everything would be fine.  
  
Amos was starting to unload some of the boxes from the back of his truck when he got a tap on the shoulder. The middle-aged man hated being bothered, but he turned around anyway only to face a person he hadn't seen in years–his brother, Calvin.  
  
The hunter lowered his eyes at his younger brother, who always seemed to enjoy starting an argument with him. Calvin was always the spoiled one, thinking he was better than anyone else. Amos wondered what he was doing _here_ at a regional hunt meet. Calvin was always more of the town boy.  
  
"Surprised to see, big brother?" the brown-haired man questioned in response to Amos' angry look.  
  
"What are_ you_ doing here?" Amos growled, causing his two dogs to become interested in the conversation.  
  
Calvin chuckled. "Is that anyway to say hello to the brother you haven't seen in–how long has it been? Oh yeah, thirty years. Talk about long time, no see, eh?"  
  
"Just answer the question, what are you doing here? Aren't you some big-city lawyer somewhere?"  
  
"Glad to see you remember my profession," Calvin grinned out of cockiness. "Well, Amos, I am here for the same reason you are–to hunt."  
  
Amos didn't believe it. His brother had never liked hunting, even when they were little. While he was trying to aim a slingshot at a squirrel, Calvin would always scream for the little animal to run for its life.  
  
"Since when do you hunt?" Amos asked him in distrust. "I always took you for one of those animal-rights people."  
  
"I got into it a few years ago, thanks to a friend who insisted I go with him and a few other guys on a moose hunt," Calvin replied, still grinning. "Not that I live off the land like you do, but I have gotten in a few good shots. In fact, the very friend who got me into this sport–Wally Jones–is the manager of this shindig."  
  
"Must be nice knowing someone on the inside," Amos commented dryly. "That way it will be easier to _cheat_."  
  
Calvin's eyes narrowed. "I, dear brother, am not a cheater. In fact, I challenge you personally in this hunt. Whichever of us shows up with more game, the winner."  
  
"And what does the winner get?" Amos wanted to know.  
  
Calvin looked down at Copper and smiled. "I say, that's a nice dog. About the same age as my Blue-Tick. How about the winner getting the other man's dog, hm?"  
  
Amos stared at him in disbelief. Give up his dog, his Copper? How preposterous! But, Calvin's offer was tempting, and besides he had faith in his hounds. They would easily beat the no-good brother at his game.  
  
"You're on," Amos smiled crookedly as he shook hands with him.  
  
The dogs had no idea what the two men were talking about, but they could automatically assume from the Master's tone of voice that he was not a guy to be friendly with. In fact, they each made mental notes to stay away from this man, whoever he was.  
  
Hm, Calvin sounds pretty mean huh? Looks like the challenge is on, will this effect any future events that should happen? Will Tod get any help in moving his family? Keep reading to find out, and if you're reading, please review! 


	3. Love at First Sight

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Thanks for reading! Hope you stay with me!

Narfgirl: Yeah, I figured they should have kids, since Vixey obviously wanted some in the movie and all. Glad you like, keep reading!

Lone Wolfdog: Glad you're reading this! When I started writing this, I thought that nobody liked this movie and that no one would read it! So keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**  
  
**Chapter Three: Love at First Sight**  
  
While Amos was roughing things up with his long-lost brother Calvin, the dogs decided they would wander around the site to cure them of boredom–not to mention help them forget about that terribly bumpy ride they had to take to get there.  
  
"I wonder who that man is the Master's talking to," Copper thought out loud as he looked around where he was.  
  
"Don't ask me, I've never seen him before," Chief replied. "Last time we were here I don't remember seeing him."  
  
"Wait, you two have been here before?" Copper asked, turning to around to ask.  
  
"Heck yeah, we came every year...except last year since we were too busy with you to come."  
  
He was referring to the previous winter when he and Amos had taken young Copper out in the wilderness to teach him how to hunt. Copper had extremely enjoyed chasing the wildlife through the snow, although at first he managed to screw things up.  
  
"So...what's the point of this thing?" the young dog asked as he sat down to scratch one of his long brown ears. "It's not like a contest or something is it?"  
  
"Actually, it is," Chief replied, getting exasperated by all the questions. Copper was pretty good at asking those. "Whoever gets the most game by the end of the three-day limit gets a prize. But don't ask what it is, because I don't think we've ever won."  
  
Copper glanced back at his owner, who was still angrily talking with the strange brown-haired man. "I bet that guy wants to beat the Master at this thing. Maybe that's why he looks mad."  
  
"Who looks mad?" he heard a female voice reply from behind. He jerked his head around to face forwards and came eye to eye with the most gorgeous creature he'd ever laid eyes on.  
"Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing," the girl, a Blue-Tick Coonhound about Copper's age, apologized. But Copper didn't hear a word she said–he was too busy staring to hear. "I'm Belle, what's your name?"  
  
When Copper remained speechless for a split-second, Chief nudged him to snap him out of his dream state. "Huh? Oh, uh, I'm-I'm Copper," he finally spat out, getting embarrassed. He'd never seen a female dog before, and this one was a very pretty one. He looked over for some help from Chief, but the older dog gave him this look that said, "Sorry, sonny, you're on your own in this department."  
  
Deciding it would be better for Copper to handle this alone, he whispered, "I'm gonna check on the Master while you, you know."  
  
Copper didn't know whether to feel relieved or more distressed when his mentor left. He turned his head back towards the girl and grinned a little sheepishly. What on earth was he supposed to say?  
  
Copper cleared his throat, more out of nervousness than anything. "So, uh, you ever been to one of these before?"  
  
"No, it's my first year," Belle answered, shaking her head for emphasis.  
  
"Really?" Copper asked. "Mine too."  
  
"Oh, then I guess we can learn everything together, huh?" the Blue- Tick laughed. She seemed friendly enough, Copper was rather enjoying talking with her. He was about to say something else, when he was prevented from doing so by another dog–a tough looking Rhodesian Ridgeback who ambled up to them beside Belle.  
  
"And who do we have here?" he asked with a look that seemed to be judgmental and perhaps a bit self-centered. The huge dog appeared around the age of three, with a shining red-gold coat and blazing brown eyes. Copper instantly felt challenged by this dog, whoever he was, and felt the hair along the back of his neck rise.  
  
"Buster," Belle said with a hint of disgust and annoyance. "Uh, this is Copper. Copper, this is Buster. We live on the same farm together."  
  
"That's right, and we are going to win that prize if it kills me," the Rhodesian sneered. He could tell Copper was a half-bred mutt, not purebred like HE was, and Buster absolutely despised mongrels.  
  
"Buster, please," Belle sighed, rolling her eyes at his arrogance. "We'd better go. It was nice meeting you, Copper."  
  
"Yeah, nice meetin' you, too," the young dog replied as he turned to walk back to the jeep. Ugh, first girl he ever meets and he has to deal with a stuck-up snob like Buster. Wonderful.  
  
When he returned to the jeep, he turned around to watch the two dogs walking off. He noticed them heading towards the man that Amos had been talking to earlier [Calvin]. Even more wonderful. Not only did Belle have a bullying partner, she was owned by that guy the Master obviously disapproved of.

"What else can go wrong?" he muttered to himself.

* * *

Belle glanced behind her shoulder to watch Copper rejoin his owner and friend at their jeep. Buster noticed that she had fallen back in pace and looked at her intensely.  
  
"Don't even think about getting mixed up with that trash," he growled, causing her to snap her head towards him. "He's a half-breed, I could tell. You have a pedigree, like me, so stop chasing after worthless junk."  
  
Belle glared at him coldly. "You have no business in telling me who I can be friends with. And I don't care if he doesn't have a pedigree, he's seems nice to me. I wish I could say the same for you."  
  
"You dumb woman," he snarled. "Everyone knows the nice guys finish last. And I don't intend to be last at ANYTHING. This world is too cruel to be friendly in it. Only the tough guys win in the end." He leaned down to her ear. "And if I see you getting nice with that mongrel, you'll be sorry indeed."  
  
Wow, Buster's mean! But Belle seems friendly enough. Sorry for the absence of Tod, but this chapter was necessary for the plot. So keep on reading to find out what happens and please review! 


	4. An Unexpected Reunion

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Thank you! I'm such a sucker for doggy romance, lol!

Anonymous but Impressed: Thank you! Lol, cool comparison b/t Buster and Gaston! I didn't even think about that when I chose the girl dog's name! I based Buster's personality on a dog I knew when I was a baby, and I'd have to say he was a bit like Gaston!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**  
  
**Chapter Four: An Unexpected Reunion**  
  
The night sky was filled with stars, and the full moon shone down on the countryside in radiant beams. All the hunters had their tents set up and everyone was asleep, ready to start the contest the next morning. The only thing one could hear was the chirping of the crickets in the deep brush.  
  
Copper had been sleeping peacefully on the ground outside the tent when he thought he heard something move. He started a bit in his sleep then sleepily opened his eyes. Raising his head a little ways, he checked everything out only to find nothing was wrong.  
  
"You're just uneasy because you're in a new place," he told himself as he laid his head down. He looked up at the stars above him. He remembered when he was a little puppy that he and Chief would always watch for a shooting star. They also used to make shapes with the stars, that they called "star pictures". Yeah, those were the days. They ended all too soon for him.  
  
He closed his eyes and resumed his sleeping pattern, certain that he had just been hearing things earlier. Little did he know that he was _not_ hearing things, but that something _had_ been moving in the brush.  
  
The head of a red fox peeped out of the forest and looked around the area. Tod realized that he had been correct in assuming that a huge group of dogs and hunters had been camping out here. Vixey and the kids really were in danger, so that meant that they would have to relocate.  
  
Tod stepped out cautiously and nosed around the different tents, careful not to make too much noise or else he would be jumped on by about fifty dogs. He tried to stay mainly in the shadows, scrounging around for any kind of food. All the animals that he usually hunted had left due to the arrival of the hunters, so now he was desperate for anything edible to take home to his family.  
  
He found one jeep looking vehicle that seemed to have a tasty smell of ham. Tod licked his chops, hopped onto the flatbed of the truck and began to search for the yummy scent. About five minutes later he emerged his head with a whole leg of ham, still quite fresh.  
  
Tod didn't see that his movements had awoken someone from their slumber. Copper awoke again that night, this time he was positive he had heard something. He glanced over at Chief, who was sleeping right beside him, but he didn't seem to have heard anything. Copper lifted himself up off the ground and went in search of the mysterious noise.  
  
He thought he heard something stirring from the jeep, and that really scared him. He took a deep breath, marched over to the jeep and heaved himself up on his two back legs, placing his two front paws over the side of the truck.  
  
Copper nearly had a heart-attack when he saw a red fox pop his head out from under some baggage, holding a leg of ham in his pointy mouth. Startled, he lost balance and landed backwards on the ground. Tod was just as surprised as the hound. He almost dropped his findings and nearly fell off the truck.  
  
Tod regained himself and peeked downwards where he had seen the dog. Copper raised his head up in order to get a glimpse of his intruder. They gasped when they saw each other, scared that one might attack the other. They stared at each other for a long while before speaking.  
  
"Tod?" the hound finally asked, wide-eyed as he stared at his long- lost best friend.  
  
"Copper?" the fox replied in the same manner, shocked that after two months he was again face-to-face with his childhood friend.  
  
"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the exact same time, for the truth was they wasn't expecting to ever see each other again after that quarrel with the bear.  
  
"I'm here for this regional hunt going on," Copper explained, still astonished that he was talking to Tod again. "What about you, what do you think you're doing here?"  
  
"Checking things out, to make sure I wasn't crazy," Tod told him, holding the ham between his front paws. "And I was short on my food supply."  
  
Copper noticed the meat that the fox was holding onto. "You were going to steal that?"  
  
"I wouldn't call it that, but yes," Tod admitted guiltily. "Copper, I've got a family to feed, and there's nothing around to eat anymore. Not since all these hunters moved in."  
  
Copper felt a pang of guilt. The activities going on in the campsite must have scared away all the other animals, leaving Tod with nothing to eat. He really hated being on two sides: his loyalty to his own nature and to his Master, and his friendship with a fox–a game animal that he was expected to track down.  
  
"I'm real sorry, Tod," he apologized with a sad look in his eyes. "But I don't know what I can do to help. You say you have a family now?"  
  
"Yes, a wife and two newborn cubs," the fox answered proudly. Then he went back to being serious. "But we have to get out of here, I don't want them getting killed by one of these hunters."  
  
"How are you going to do that? Each of you carry one cub while you travel?"  
  
"That's what I said, but Vixey (she's my wife) mentioned that if a larger predator attacked us, that we wouldn't be able to fight while holding on to a baby," Tod informed him, his pointy ears folding down in despair. "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do."  
  
Copper felt sorry for his friend, but he had no idea what he could possibly do to help them out. If only he was able to help them relocate...oh no, that was a crazy idea! He couldn't possibly pull that off! Or could he...  
  
"Tod, I think I just got an idea," the dog said, getting an interested look from Tod. "You say you need help travelling, right? How about while you and your wife go on and carry the kids, and I'll come along and keep an eye out for mountain lions or whatever. I'll act as a bodyguard."  
  
Tod couldn't believe Copper came up with the same idea that he and Vixey had invented just hours earlier. It was very kind of him to offer this service, especially since it had been two months that they had last seen each other.  
  
"Are you sure?" Tod asked him, not wanting to butt in on Copper's personal life. "I mean, how are you going to help us when you're out tracking with Chief and the hunter?"  
  
Copper had totally forgotten about that. He wasn't sure how long they would be hunting every day. For all he knew, they would be hunting during the nights as well. Tod had a good point, when would he have the time to help them?  
  
The hound glimpsed at Chief for a second to make sure he was still asleep. He couldn't risk being seen talking with Tod or things would get nasty. He turned back to Tod.  
  
"All right, come back tomorrow night and I'll tell you what I'll do," Copper instructed his friend. "I don't know the whole schedule of this camp, so when I find out when a good time for me to help you is I'll tell you, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Tod agreed, nodding his head. "This is real nice of you, Copper."  
  
The hound shrugged and smiled. "What are friends for?"  
  
Tod smiled back, glad to see that he still considered the two of them as friends. They may not be the _best_ of friends any more, but at least they were still on good terms.  
  
"Hey, you don't mind if I take this food back with me, do you?" the fox remembered to ask before he left.  
  
"Nah, I don't care."  
  
Tod gave him a look of gratefulness as he placed the huge leg in his mouth and hopped down from the jeep. He gave a quick look that said "see ya" and bounded off into the woods where he had come from.  
  
Copper sighed and went back to where he had been sleeping to lay down. Many thoughts ran through his head. So many things had happened in just one day: coming to this hunt, meeting Belle and Buster, running into Tod again and promising to help him...when would it end?  
  
Right now, all he knew was that it was going to be quite a challenge for him these next few days. He was determined to talk to Belle again no matter what that Buster said, he would have to do his best to win the contest for his Master and put that strange man to shame, help rescue Tod's family without acting suspicious...that last one would be pretty hard. Chief knew the young dog pretty well, so he knew when something was troubling him. Copper was simply going to have to act...natural.  
  
All right! Tod and Copper finally meet again after two months! Now let's see how Copper is going to manage all the items on his "to-do" list w/o looking half-crazy! 


	5. Fighting

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately**.**  
  
**A/N:** So sorry for the long wait! I had a short-term writer's block, but I'm back now! But only to leave you for another week while I'm on _vacation_, mwahaha! Anyways, here's chapter five finally!

narfgirl: Thank you! Yeah, Buster is mean, but there's got to be bad guy somewhere, lol! Glad you like, keep reading!

Anonymous but Impressed: Thanks, I'm glad somebody said something about the building drama! I hope you like this next chappie, so keep reading!

Freddy Voorhees: Like the penname! Yes, I _love_ this movie too, its my favorite Disney classic! I read a few rumors, in fact, that there is going to be a sequel to it sometime in 2006 subtitled "Friends Forever", but I have _no_ details on it. Hopefully it's not one of those sucky direct-to-dvd things they've been putting out lately. Hm, I haven't thought about Tod reuniting with Widow Tweed, but I'll see what I can do! Keep reading!  
  
**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**  
  
**Chapter Five: Fighting**  
  
The next morning when the sun came shining through the trees, Copper was a little reluctant to get up. His conversation with Tod the previous night had seemed so much like a dream, yet it had really happened. He had been worrying about how he was going to pull off this hunt _and_ helping Tod out at the same time. It seemed impossible!  
  
He lifted himself up and stretched out in order to help wake himself up more and then shook the drowsy feeling he felt away from him. All around him, other dogs were doing the same thing, as well as their owners. Even Amos was up and ready, leaning against his truck and puffing on his freshly lit pipe.  
  
The mustachioed man was set on beating his younger, less experienced brother in this challenge. There was no way some big-city fellow was going to put HIM to shame! Besides, he didn't want to lose his Copper dog to him. That would be a disgrace and an insult to the dog.  
  
"You ready to go, ol' boy?" he asked with a smile at Copper.  
  
Copper didn't have any idea what he just agreed to, but he answered with a deep "roof roof" anyway. Right now, he was wondering on about when he was going to have free time to help Tod out.  
  
"Hm, who would know the schedule around here?" he asked himself mentally. Then, it hit him. Of course, why didn't he think of that earlier? "Hey, Chief?"  
  
The old dog felt like stuffing cotton in his ears in order to escape the forever impending questions that came out of Copper's mouth, but was it his fault nature didn't give him opposable thumbs? So, naturally he had to answer,  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Since you've been here before and everything, I was just wondering what the schedule was around here and all," he asked, trying to act as casually as possible. Any hint of suspicion, and he was done for.  
  
"Oh, is that all? Well...let's see if I can remember...oh yeah, everybody goes out at the same time during the day (since we cover a _large_ area of land) and then we all break at night time."  
  
Okay, that seemed to work out for Copper. He could hunt during the day, then while everyone was sleeping he could sneak off to help Tod. Sounded good, except when was _he_ going to get any sleep?  
  
"You all right, sonny?"  
  
Copper shook his head to clear it when he heard the question. "Huh?"  
  
"Did you get enough sleep last night?" Chief asked, cocking his head to one side. "You look kinda out of it."  
  
"No...I'm fine," he lied, adding a feigned grin for special effect. "Never been better."  
  
Suddenly, a deep voice replied behind him, "Oh, I wouldn't say _that_..."  
  
Copper turned around only to come nose-to-nose with a huge Rhodesian—Buster. The young hound felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Something about this guy gave him the creeps.  
  
"So, I understand this is your first time out here," Buster continued with a smirk. "Here's your first lesson, kid—stay out of my way. You see me coming, you go the other way. You don't do as I say, you will get in _big_ trouble. And, one last thing...stay away from Belle. She's _mine_."  
  
Copper heard himself growling deep in his throat. That last sentence made something snap in his head, and before he knew what he was doing, he had lunged forward and attached his jaws to Buster's thick neck. The huge dog gave a cry of shock, not having expected a challenge from the pup, but quickly rebounded and slapped Copper in the nose.  
  
He yelped when he went flying off the larger dog, who then pounced on top of him and proceeded in the attempts of ripping his throat out. By this time, everybody that had been around the area had started watching, gathering around to see who'd win. Just when Copper thought Buster really _was _going to tear out his throat, a miracle occurred. Amos and Calvin pushed themselves towards their dogs and pulled them apart before they killed each other. Even with their hands tight on their collars, they still tried charging at each other.  
  
Calvin glared at his brother as he held Buster back. "You need to do something about that crazy dog of yours, Amos!"  
  
"_My_ crazy dog? Yours is three times bigger than mine, he could have killed him!"  
  
"Then yours shouldn't have jumped all over mine!"  
  
They continued arguing over whose dog had started the fight or not, and everybody else started taking sides. Copper was breathing heavily. He couldn't believe he had just rushed that huge dog. Never had he done anything so irrational. He saw Belle in the audience, looking pretty confused as to what had happened. If he wasn't being held back by Amos, he would have told her what had gone on.  
  
But he didn't get a chance to. When everybody finally broke up and scattered, he couldn't find her again. Besides, he wouldn't have been able to, because _he _was getting a good talking to himself.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?!" Chief exclaimed when they had a chance to talk. "What on earth was going through your head when you did that?"  
  
"I don't know, he just ticked me off is all."  
  
"That's all? Copper, you just jumped a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Those guys are professional fighters! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"  
  
"No. What is the big deal, since when do you care about what I do?"  
  
Ouch, that stung. "Since _when _do I _care_? Copper, believe it or not, I care. Especially when you jump dogs three times your size! You just don't do that!"  
  
"You said you did all the time when you were my age."  
  
"I had brothers and sisters to pick on when I was your age," he explained. "And I usually tried to steer clear of things that could easily break my neck. Copper, I swear, sometimes I worry about you."  
  
"Well, don't! I can take care of myself!" Copper snapped, getting agitated by the lecture. He hated it when people tried to tell him how to live. "Look, Buster's my problem and I can handle it. Just...back off, all right?"  
  
He turned around to walk towards the truck, where he crawled underneath the shade. Chief could _not_ believe Copper just got an attitude with him. He was never like that as a puppy. Maybe he was just having a "growing up" issue. Growing up...sigh, seemed like only yesterday, Copper was _always_ needing his help. Now he didn't seem to want it. What was up with kids these days?

* * *

Wow, Copper totally went haywire on Buster there, huh? Aw, poor Chief can't play "daddy" anymore, his "little boy" grew up obviously. So, what was the point of this chappie? Trust me, it helps add to the drama. Which you'll have to read later, because I am going on vacation all this week starting August 1st! So, I'll try posting again when I get back. Catch ya'll later! And please review while I'm away, lol!


	6. Sneaking Off

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

A/N: Okay, I'm finally back from vacation, so here is Chapter Six!

The Next Political Dynasty: Thanks! Lol, okay you're forgiven, that happens to me too!

Anonymous but Impressed: Thanks! Yeah, I'm glad Copper had a go at Buster too! We'll have to see what happens later on between them. Keep reading!

Freddy Voorhees: Thanks! Yeah, I've always loved the father-son thing that went on with those two! I'm pretty scared about a possible sequel too, I'm scared it will ruin the first movie! Cool, I'm a fan of Freddy Krueger myself! Keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Six: Sneaking Off**

That whole first day of hunting seemed to drag on forever. Copper and Buster spent half their time glaring at each other than they did tracking down game. While Buster had been surprised at the young dog's sudden outburst that morning, he still had a strong ego. He thought it humorous that the pup had actually thought he could go up against _him_. Next time Copper pulled anything like that again, Buster would see to it that it would be his _last_ time to do it.

Copper had been on pins and needles all day. While he did his best to keep his nose to the ground in search of prey, his mind kept wandering off to everything else that was going on. He was a little afraid that Buster would try to attack him sometime, in revenge for that morning's fight. But the huge Rhodesian hadn't tried anything so far, so Copper assumed he was safe...for now.

That night came as a relief. Dogs and hunters alike were dead tired and ready for a good long sleep. Copper found it hard to get to sleep anyway, and didn't nod off until everybody else had gone to sleep. It had been maybe five minutes when he felt somebody tapping him on his shoulder.

"Psst! Copper, wake up!"

The hound cracked his eyes open at the sound of a voice and yawned. He glanced over to his side to see the image of a red fox sitting beside him. He knew very well who it was.

"Wake up!" Tod repeated again in a whisper, careful not to wake anybody up.

"All right, I'm up, I'm up," Copper mumbled, getting on all four legs to stretch. "So, how's it going?"

"Okay, I guess. We haven't been bothered by any hunters yet, but I have a feeling that they're going to be getting closer."

"Oh yeah, I figured all that out today. Listen, the only time the hunters go out is during the day, starting at daylight. Then when dark comes, we all go to sleep. Which means, I can only help you move the family after everybody's sleeping."

"Sounds logical," the fox nodded, standing up. "Wanna meet the family?"

Copper shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Tod bounded off into the woods and Copper went after him. He turned his head briefly to make sure Chief was still sleeping soundly before he went any farther. He sure hoped this moving thing wouldn't take _too_ long...

* * *

Vixey was inside the den with the two cubs, Autumn and Swift, who were sleeping in between her front legs. She had to admit, she was a little unsure of Tod's idea. When she was told that a hound dog was going to be helping them out, she nearly killed over. She remembered all those times in the past when she had run from them, barely escaping the gun. She wasn't sure if she could trust the one helping them out—Tod said his name was Copper—and didn't know if she wanted him around her two children. They weren't even a week old yet; they're eyes still hadn't opened. They were too delicate, in her opinion, to travel anywhere especially with a hound nearby.

Vixey heard the faint sound of footsteps coming towards the den, then heard Tod whispering her name to come out. She looked down at the cubs, still sleeping, then gently stood up and exited. When she saw the dog, her first instinct was naturally to tense up but she remembered that he was supposedly a friend of Tod's.

"Vixey," Tod started off, still speaking in a whisper. "This is my friend, Copper. He's going to help us out. And Copper, this is my wife Vixey."

Copper smiled at her. "Nice to meet you."

She grinned back. "Same here." Where _had_ she seen him before? "Well, I guess we'd best get started, don't want to waste moonlight."

* * *

Okay, that was kinda a sucky chapter, but I've been out of practice all week. So, Copper is now officially helping Tod and Vixey. Will everything go smoothly without a hitch? Will Vixey remember where she saw Copper before, back when he was trying to kill Tod in the movie? What all is to happen? Gotta keep reading to find out, and please review!


	7. Conversations

1Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Things will go smoothly in due time, trust me! But things always get worse before they get better, so keep reading!

Anonymous but Impressed: Glad you liked it! Hope you enjoy this next chapter as well!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Seven: Conversations**

Copper somehow had made it through the night without any sleep. Nothing had happened, thankfully, that night that required his "bodyguard" skills, so Tod and his family were safe for the day. They had taken refuge inside an abandoned badger hole that night before Copper left them.

The hound dragged himself back to camp about an hour before sunrise. He managed not to wake anybody up, a good thing, and plopped down in his spot to pick up where he left off on his sleeping. This helping Tod idea of his was probably not one of his best ideas. He was literally dog-tired! It didn't take him too long to drift off to sleep.

Which was interrupted about an hour later. He felt somebody tapping him on the shoulder gently, and saying his name, trying to wake him up. Which he did eventually. He cracked his eyes open, and instead of seeing Tod like last time, he saw a Blue-Tick Coonhound—Belle.

"Hey, you awake?" she asked in a whisper.

"I am _now_," he told her sluggishly, yawning and giving himself a good stretch. "What are you doing up? Sun's not even up yet."

"I know, but I couldn't sleep," Belle confessed. "Look, what you did to Buster yesterday...that wasn't such a good idea. He could've killed you."

Copper moaned. "Ugh, please don't lecture me, Pops over there has already given me one," he told her, nodding his head over at Chief, who was still sound asleep.

"Maybe you needed it. Take it from who knows, Buster is not one to mess with," she warned. "He's pretty sneaky, and he knows how to get what he wants. And he wants first prize this year in particular."

"Well, he's just going to have to step down, because he's _not_ going to get it. Why the heck are you supporting him anyway?"

She looked taken aback. "I'm not supporting him. I can't stand him."

"Then why are you telling me all this stuff?"

"I'm telling you for your own safety. I don't want you accidentally crossing the line and getting your head bit off or something."

_So she _does_ care!_ "Well, uh, thanks," he smiled. "Now, not to be rude or anything, but I've had a hard time sleeping as it is, so could I...?"

"Oh, sure yeah! Sorry." She started backing off to go back to her campsite. "Bye."

"See ya." When she left, Copper couldn't help but think "Wow, she actually talked to me!". After about ten minutes of thinking about this, he at long last got in some more nap-time...forty-five minutes before the sun came up. Ugh.

* * *

After Copper had left them, Tod helped Vixey snuggle up with the cubs to keep them warm in the drafty badger's hole. They had travelled about four miles from their original home, which seemed far enough but there was still the possibility that the hunters and the dogs could reach them even from _there_. Tod had no idea how many more trips they would have to make until they were a safe distance from the party...they probably wouldn't be safe until the hunting parties left in about three days.

"Tod?" Vixey asked, drawing her husband away from his thoughts. "That dog...he looked familiar. Have I ever seen him before?"

Uh-oh, Tod had a feeling she was going to ask that. She very well remembered that dreadful day that he and Copper had a humongous fight in the game preserve, and chased the two foxes inside their den. He was sure Vixey would never forget that horror story, but he had hoped that maybe she wouldn't recognize Copper.

"Well...yeah, you have," he told her a little hesitantly. "But, when you saw him...he wasn't himself. He was mad at me about something personal and we both went a little crazy and tried killing each other. But it's okay now, we're still mutual friends and all."

Vixey started thinking. "Oh, Tod, he's not the same dog that tried to dig himself into our old den is he? The one with the hunter that tried to burn us out?"

Tod appeared fidgety. "Actually...yes."

"Tod! You're friends with that killing machine?"

"He's not a...Vixey, he's an okay guy, trust me. If he wasn't, I wouldn't have asked for his help."

She gave him a sideways look. "All right...but if he even _looks_ at my two children funny, he'd better watch it because I'll claw his eyes out."

He started laughing at the image of his wife trying to rip his friends eyes out. "Okay, you do that, but he's not going to bother Autumn or Swift."

And with that, the family of four snuggled together in the warmth of the badger hole and slept through the night.

* * *

Okay, sorry if this chapter was sucky as well, but these little "in-between" chappies are just as necessary to the story as the ones with action in them. Trust me, when we get to the action scenes, you'll be glad you started reading this. Keep reading and please review!


	8. A Sense of Foreboding Danger

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

Frostbite-Obsessive Idiot: Thanks for the compliment! Yeah, I get what you mean about the sequels and all but it just BUGS me when they make a sequel to a great movie and it ends up being some "corny sing-a-long". Keep reading!

The Next Political Dynasty: Lol, I know what you mean by "hectic", I've been getting ready for college all week! Keep reading!

Lioness-Goddess: Wow, glad you liked it! I hope you stay with me!

Anonymous but Impressed: Here's another "powerful" chapter for you to read, so I hpe you enjoy it!

Forever Young: Thanks! I read your "greenhorn" story, and I loved it! Copper and Chief's my favorite characters, so I totally liked it. Keep reading, writing, and reviewing!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Eight: A Sense of Foreboding Danger**

"I'm telling you, I saw a mountain lion up there!" argued a heavy-set hunter sporting a thick red beard. "Me and my dogs gave up across him about two miles east of camp!"

"You're crazy, there ain't no mountain lions around here," Amos insisted, taking a drink of water from his mug. "I think you were just imagining things."

"I swear to you, a big old lion jumped down from a boulder, looked straight at me before high-tailing it through the bushes!"

Copper had no idea what the conversation was about, but judging from the tones of voices being used by both men, he figured that something wasn't right. The man with the beard was talking like he was scared of something, and that gave the dog a sense of worry. But Amos didn't seem bothered by anything, so he decided that it couldn't be anything to fret over.

The two dogs standing beside this man, a handsome pair of Plott hounds, looked about as anxious as their owner. They kept muttering to each other something about "a devil cat", which Copper had never heard before.

"Excuse me," he interrupted them. "Did you say _devil cat_?"

"Sure did, boy," one of the Plotts answered. "Them fellers are awful dangerous, and I feel for the sorry sap that comes across one alone."

"Yeah, we were lucky that he went the other way, instead of making us his supper," the second Plott added, and then they said no more about it.

This statement was being said about the time Chief came up, and needless to say, he didn't quite believe that those two had really seen a "devil cat". Copper still didn't know what the heck these two were going on about, so he said,

"I've never heard of a devil cat before."

"That's just fancy talk for a mountain lion, sonny," the older dog explained. "And as far as I know, there hasn't been any around here in ages."

"Those two acted like they had seen one though."

"Oh, please. They're just making the whole thing up to get attention. If they really had seen one, their Master would have killed it for a nice trophy, instead of running of like a whiney baby to tell everybody what he saw."

Although Chief did make some sense, Copper had this foreboding sense of fear that there really _was _a huge cat running loose in the hills. This thought made him worry about Tod and his family. What if the devil cat came across them and decided to have _fox_ for dinner?

These thoughts were interrupted by a deep booming voice coming from—it was apparent enough, it came from Buster. He had overheard all the talk about a mountain lion and he had come to add his two cents.

"A devil cat, ya'll say?" he asked in a all-too-confident voice. "How very intriguing! If I had run into him, I would have gone after him and taught him not to come prowling around here anymore!"

The huge Rhodesian plopped himself in the middle of the talk and continued to boast, saying, "In fact, if I'd been the one to run across him, you boys would be at my place at this very moment looking at his head mounted on the wall. A very nice piece of decor, if I say so myself."

"Then why don't you stop bragging about it and go after him?" Copper dared to ask. "If you think you can catch him, prove it."

Buster laughed deep in his throat. "That's exactly what the devil wants you to do! Go after him, lost your strength, and then he'll be able to get you. No, if he wants me, let him come to me. If he's not scared that is."

He laughed some more, then rose to leave, taking his boastful ways with him. Copper let out a sigh of anger, sick and tired of Buster strutting around and acting like Mr. Big Shot all the time. One of these days, that dog was going to get his comeuppance—all villains do.

* * *

Hm, now we have a mountain lion running around! Will this cause any problems? Will it come after Tod's family? Will Buster really get a comeuppance? Gotta keep reading to find out, and PLEASE review!


	9. More Senses of Foreboding Danger

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

narfgirl: Oops, sorry I didn't see that last review! Yeah, I like it when they talk with each other to! Hope you keep reading!

The Next Political Dynasty: We'll have to see! Keep reading!

Forever Young: I know what you're talking about, when Chance escapes the lion. I think he called it "Arnold Schwartzne-Kitty". Or however you spell that actor's last name. Now I want to watch that movie, lol! Keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Nine: More Senses of Foreboding Danger**

"Tod? Tod, wake up," Vixey whispered to her sleeping husband. "I heard something, wake up."

The fox forced his eyes open and gave a big yawn. "What is it?"

"I heard something outside," she repeated, her ears perked up to listen better. "Maybe you should see what it is."

Tod listened closely, but didn't hear anything. "Vixey, we traveled all night, we _really_ need to get some sleep." He laid his head back down. "I think you're hearing things."

"No, I'm not," Vixey argued, keeping her voice down so she wouldn't wake the cubs. "There is something out there, and I don't want it coming in _here_."

Seeing this was a losing battle, Tod woke up all the way and got up to stretch. "Okay, I'll go check it out. But there's still nothing out there."

To be on the safe side, he carefully poked his head out of their hiding place and sniffed the air. He thought he smelt a hint of something...but he didn't know what it was. Then, he heard something moving in front of him. Tod ducked his head down a little ways, keeping his eyes wide open to see what it was. When the creature emerged from the bushes, he didn't know what to think.

It was a huge mountain lion, although he'd never seen one around here before. He could hardly believe it. The large cat didn't bother to check the area out for any foxes so he continued on his way, heading southeast. Tod made a mental note to _not_ go in that direction that night when they continued traveling.

"So, what is it?" Vixey whispered softly.

Tod went back inside. "I'm afraid we've got a mountain lion out there."

She gasped. "Oh, Tod! A mountain lion? That's awful, what are we going to do about it?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do, except stay out of its way and avoid it at all costs," he told her. "Let's just get some sleep for now, and tonight we'll be sure to be as quiet as possible, as not to attract attention."

* * *

"So, big brother," Calvin greeted Amos, who at present was skinning a rabbit. "Having much luck in the great outdoors?"

"For your information, I got three coons, five squirrels, and two rabbits today," the old hunter remarked, pointing to a pile of furs he had setting out. "How about you, city boy?"

"Two squirrels, a few pheasants, and a rabbit."

Amos chuckled. "Typical. You're such a beginner. Did you do all that or did your fighting dog have a wrestling match with them all?"

"Buster happens to be a professional hunter," Calvin insisted. "And to answer your question, he got everything except the pheasants. That was the work of my Blue-Tick, Belle."

"You know, you can always call off this ridiculous contest you have with me. It's obvious I'm going to win."

"That's where you're wrong, Amos. We still have two days to go. By the way, have you heard about that mountain lion?"

"Hasn't everybody? What of it?" He tossed a piece of the rabbit meat over to Chief, who was sitting beside him. Copper was napping beside the truck, exhausted.

Calvin casually answered, "I was just thinking what a fine trophy that mountain lion would be for the lucky fellow who killed it. How about raising the stakes a little bit? Whoever kills the lion, wins."

Amos looked up from what he was doing. "Calvin, if you think you're going to kill a mountain lion, you're nuts. Besides, I don't think there's one even out there. Hasn't been any around for years."

"You don't know that. One may have accidentally wandered out here. I personally think you're too chicken to go after it."

"If there _is_ one out there," Amos started, standing up now. "I'm not going to risk getting killed and go after it."

"Whatever you say," Calvin said, walking off to his own campsite.

Not having understood a word of the conversation, Chief cocked his head over in confusion. Amos looked down at him and rubbed him on the head.

"Even if there is a mountain lion out there, it would be illegal to kill it," he said out loud. "They're endangered. But I'm not going to be the one to tell my brother that. And I don't think I have to worry about _you_ telling him."

Chief gave a little bark in agreement, although he didn't know what he just agreed with. He glanced over at where Copper was napping beside the truck. The old dog didn't know what was running through the young pup's head, and personally he was starting to get worried about him. Copper had acted almost deprived of energy all day, and it was a miracle he was able to track anything down. Whatever it was, hopefully it would go away _soon_.

Uh-oh, Tod's seen the "devil cat"! Will they run into it in the future? Let's pray not! Will Calvin go after the lion, despite what Amos has said? Gotta keep reading to find out! Please review!


	10. Talking It Over

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

Forever Young: Nope, he's not getting much sleep at all, poor thing! Yeah, but what do you expect from two brothers who practically hate each other? Keep reading!

The Next Political Dynasty: Not going to promise that they WON'T run into the lion! Keep reading!

Anonymous but Impressed: Thank you very much. I'm glad you like the building drama, and there's plenty more to come! Keep reading!

narfgirl: Yes, the mountain lion is making the story pick up pace, isn't it? Glad you like it, keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Ten: Talking It Over**

"You say you saw the mountain lion?" Copper asked Tod that night while they were getting ready to continue moving.

"Yeah, sometime during the evening," Tod replied. "Sure was big. I've never seen one around here before."

"That's what I was told. Everybody at camp sure got excited over it. Except the Master of course. I don't think he believes there's one out here."

"Well, there is one, I can tell you that right now," the fox told him. "Hopefully, nobody tries to go out and kill him. Those lions can be pretty dangerous, from what I've heard."

Vixey emerged with Autumn, the girl cub, in her mouth and Tod leaned down to grab Swift up. "Good thing you're here, Copper. I don't think I could beat up a mountain lion alone."

Copper smiled in return. He prayed that things wouldn't come down to him having to beat up a "devil cat", but if he ever did he was glad Tod would be there to help him. He wondered briefly what Belle would think if he won a fight against a over-sized kitty. He could almost see the look of jealousy on Buster's face when he drug home _that_ trophy!

Tod noticed that Copper's mind was upon other things, so he asked (while holding his son in his mouth),

"So, how's things with you? You haven't really said much about what all's been gong on."

"Nothing really, I don't guess." Tod gave him a look that read "yeah right, I can tell when you're holding something back, so you may as well tell me".

Copper sighed. "Well, there _is_ this girl..."

"Aw, does somebody have a little crushy-wushy?" the fox teased. "Just kidding. What's her name?"

"Belle."

"Does she know you like her?"

Copper shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Kinda hard to tell with girls."

"I know what you mean," Tod whispered, hoping his wife wouldn't hear him.

"I heard that!" Vixey said from the front of the line, still toting Autumn around.

Tod grinned innocently, then went back to conversing with Copper. "So, why haven't you told her yet?"

"Gee, it's kinda hard too. I don't know how to talk to girls. Besides, every time I get a chance to talk to her, this big guy named Buster always butts in."

"Buster? Who's that, her boyfriend?"

Copper managed to let out a little laugh. "Yeah, right. She hates his guts. They just have the same Master is all. But that Buster, he's such a bully! He thinks he's better than everyone, and likes to brag about it too."

"Sounds rough. I hope you put him in his place."

"Thanks." It helped talking all this over. Made the problems seem easier to handle.

Tod cleared his throat. "So, uh, how's Chief been doing? You know, ever since that accident. Hope he didn't get too banged up."

"He's fine, just had a broken leg is all. Still kinda limps though, but other than that he's doing all right."

Tod nodded. "That's good." He paused a few seconds before going on. "You know, I _did_ feel bad about what happened to him. I was concerned when I saw he wasn't getting up, after he landed in that river. Thought he might of died."

"It's all right, it wasn't your fault," Copper assured him, growing sad as he remembered the events that happened that night. "I'm sorry I blamed you for it. It's just that...well, I always thought of Chief as being like a father to me. And seeing him getting hurt like that..."

"Hey, it's okay, I understand," Tod interrupted, seeing his friend was reliving memories that he would rather forget. "It's all in the past, so apologies accepted, and we can get on with our lives."

They gave each other mutual smiles, and continued through the night in silence...not wanting to attract a certain cat.

Aw, Tod forgave Copper for trying to kill him! So sweet, having them get all that out into the open. At least the "devil cat" didn't get to them! Next chapter will have action in it, I promise! Please review, and continue reading this!


	11. A Spat With The Cat

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

Forever Young: Tod would be the one to give girl advice, considering he's got a wife and all, lol! Keep reading!

The Next Political Dynasty: It gets more interesting in this chappie! Keep reading!

Anonymous but Interested: Don't worry, Buster's putdown will be more than probably all of you expect! Not gonna give the ending away, but be prepared for it! Keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Eleven: A Spat with the Cat**

It was the next morning, the third day of the hunt. All was quiet as the high noon sun peeked down from the sky. Calvin was with his dogs near a creek bed, quietly walking through the trees as he followed the trusty hounds. Buster had his eyes peeled for any sign of movement, and Belle had her nose to the ground to pick up the trails of any nearby game animals.

As far as Buster was concerned, there wasn't any wildlife in this area. But Belle was starting to pick up a very interesting scent. She had never smelt it before, but when the trail led her to a large pawprint she immediately realized what it was. The Blue-Tick stopped dead to stare in amazement at what she had just found. Buster turned his head to look her.

"What is it?" he whispered roughly.

"I–I think I just found the devil cat's prints," she whispered to the Rhodesian, just as their Master was making his way over to them.

"Good job, girl, looks like that mountain lion is around here," Calvin muttered, getting his gun ready to fire at will. "Buster, go on ahead and see if you see anything."

Hearing his name, Buster did what he automatically thought he was to do. He went on ahead, keeping his eyes open and his body ready to spring in case the devil cat decided to pounce upon them. Belle lingered behind, sniffing the ground every once in a while to make sure they were on the right track. She didn't like the idea of going after the large predator, but her Master seemed intent on killing it. Hopefully none of them got killed in the process.

Buster kept on walking until he thought he heard something to the west of him. He tensed his muscles up in case he would have to attack something, and started growling. Calvin stopped where he was, along with Belle, and positioned himself to shoot just in case.

Then like a flash of lightening, a very large mountain lion sprang from the shrub, letting out a high-pitched yowl. Buster jumped at the cat and the two of them began a spinning fight of the teeth and claws. The Rhodesian was not afraid of this so-called "devil cat"—his ancestors had been African hunting dogs used to track down King of the Beasts–the lion–therefore giving them the name "African Lion Hound". And an American mountain lion was nowhere near as big as a maned lion!

Belle nearly had a fit when the devil cat came forth, barking and howling up a storm. Calvin tried to aim the gun right at the cat's heart, but the two fighting animals were moving so fast that he was unable to. He fired once, but he missed completely, the bullet slamming into a nearby boulder. Eventually, the golden-haired cat retreated from the dog and ran off far into the forest—leaving behind good distance in due time.

"Dadgum, we almost had him too!" Calvin sputtered, upset that he had lost his trophy. Buster looked exhausted after his wrestle with the cat, but he still had his dignified expression on his face. Belle's heart was beating ninety miles an hour after the extreme shock of it all.

Buster heard something else approaching in the bushes, and started growling again. Calvin, unsure as to what it was, hoisted his gun up again ready to shoot. However, it was only his brother and his dogs, arriving to see what all the ruckus was about. Buster sulked off by himself, wanting to stay as far away from them as possible.

"Calvin, what on earth went on up here?" Amos asked him. "I thought I heard some fighting."

"You did. That mountain lion sprang up on us and attacked Buster there," Calvin told him, pointing to the Rhodesian, although he knew that his dog was the one who had started the fight in the first place. "I shot at him but he ran off before I could."

"That lion was _here_?" his brother inquired, eyes bugged out of his head. "I'll be doggone..."

"You believe me now, huh? Well, mark my words, I'm going to get that son of a gun. No wild animal is going to attack my dog and get away with it."

"No hold up a minute, Calvin," Amos interrupted him. "I should have told you this before, but that was when I didn't think there was a lion up here. You may not know this, but shooting and killing a mountain lion is _illegal_. They're endangered, and protected by the government."

"Listen, brother. I don't care what the government says," Calvin snapped. "That animal is a pest and a nuisance. We can't have a dog-attacking predator running around. It might go after a baby for all we know. Somebody has to stop it."

"What are they talking about?" Copper asked Belle, who had come up to join the other two dogs.

"That devil cat showed up," she informed them. "Buster jumped him and started a fight with it, and the Master tried killing it but it got away."

"He'd better be glad it got away," Chief remarked. "Those are illegal to kill."

"They are?" the two young hounds asked. Copper replied, "Does your Master know that?"

"How am I supposed to know? All I know is that he seemed awful excited when we picked up its trail, and before I know what's going on, he's trying to kill it."

"Well, hopefully it ran off a long way," Copper said. He was relieved to hear it escaped and ran for the dickens. In one sense, he was glad it was away from where he was sleeping at. In another sense, he was awful glad that perhaps now it wouldn't have the chance to bother Tod and his family. "I don't think we have to worry about it anymore."

"I hope you're right," Belle commented, before hearing her Master whistle sharply for her to come. "Bye, guys," she said, bounding off after Calvin and Buster, who was still acting sulky over not killing the lion.

Copper stared as she ran off, and Chief gave him a grin. "She seems like a nice girl."

"Yeah...," he responded, not really paying attention.

"That Calvin," Amos muttered, shaking his head. "Well, can't say I didn't warn him. If he wants to land in jail, so be it. Come on, boys, we got more work to do."

Copper didn't seem to have heard him, for he was still watching Belle as she left with her "family". Chief couldn't help but think how humorous this all was, but he couldn't just leave Copper standing there all day staring into the night, so he said,

"Hey, lover-boy. Snap out of it, you're going to freeze in that position if you stand there long enough."

The young dog shook his head. "Huh?" Then a little embarrassedly, "Oh, uh, yeah, let's go."

Wow, Buster attacks the cat, Calvin blames the cat for everything and wants to kill it more than ever, and Belle and Copper are _too _cute!!! Sigh, I'm such a sucker for doggy romance, hee hee. Will the devil cat return? Will anything bad happen in the future? Will Copper get the girl? Will Tod's family be safe? Gotta keep reading to find out! And please review!


	12. Feelings of Betrayal, Part One

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Thanks! Okay, the story's picking up pace now, so keep reading!

Forever Young: Here's some slight action/suspense for ya! Keep reading!

Anonymous, but Impressed: No, he's definitely not stupid! Okay, the drama that has been building up in the previous chapters is now going to cause some action, starting with this chappie! Keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Twelve: Feelings of Betrayal, Part One**

Chief wasn't having much luck having a peaceful night's sleep. Ever since he dozed off that night, he'd been having that old nightmare of his—the one that played back the events leading up to his getting hit by a train engine. It always worked out the same way every time he dreamed it: he'd see a red fox, then start chasing it down the railroad tracks. He'd be three inches from the fox's tail when suddenly a loud noise and a bright light appeared. Then he'd freeze up and just stare in horror as the huge engine got closer and closer...and then he'd wake up right before it hit him.

He hadn't had that dream in a while. In fact, he thought he'd gotten over that ordeal. But obviously not, and he jerked himself awake and glanced around to make sure there wasn't a train anywhere near him. Seeing he was safe, he gave a sigh of relief and then looked over to see if Copper was still sleeping—what? Where was Copper at?

Chief got up on all fours, wondering where his young friend could possibly be at this time of night. He got his answer when he heard the rustle of some bushes behind him, and he turned around in time to see Copper's tail disappear into the forest. What in the world? What did that pup think he was doing?

The old dog knew that Copper wasn't prone to sleepwalking, but he had been wondering as to why the pup seemed so tired during the day and why he always turned in early. Had he been taking these nightly walks the whole time they had been out here? Curious, Chief quietly decided to follow him, keeping a very good distance between them, and see just what he was doing.

* * *

Copper returned that night, or rather that morning, about an hour before sunrise. He and Tod's family had done quite a bit of traveling that night—the family was now safe from any hunters. They were completely out of range of the hunting party. Copper could remember the feelings of gratitude that Tod and Vixey gave him for helping out. 

"How can we ever repay you?" Tod had asked when they had moved into a decent new home, a cozy den under a thick pine tree.

"We couldn't have done it without you," Vixey added as she put the last cub in the den.

"Shucks it was nothing," Copper told them. "Just trying to help out is all. I wish you both the very best, as well as the kids."

"Thanks, pal," Tod smiled. "It was great seeing you again."

"Yeah...well, I'd better get on back before sunrise. Don't want anybody waking up and finding out I'm gone," Copper lightly joked as he turned to leave. "Bye!"

Yep, Copper had done a good thing and he felt good about it. Tod and his family were safe from harm, and the good part was that nobody had found out about their secret friendship. He came into camp happy as a lark, not sure if he could get any sleep, but right before he came up to the tent, he was stopped by—

"Chief?" he asked, shocked that the Trigg hound was awake at this hour. "Uh, hey, what are you doing up so early?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," the older dog growled lowly.

There was something in his voice that told Copper that he should be backing up, which he did. "Now, Chief, I don't know what's wrong with you, but maybe if we talk about it–"

"_Talk about it_? _You_ are going to tell _me_ to talk about it? Son, you've haven't been talking to me all week, so why should I tell you anything?"

Copper was starting to get scared. He'd never seen Chief so mad about something before, not even when he was a puppy did he ever get to harsh with him. So what could possibly be his problem?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he confessed, still slowly backing up.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. Have you been getting up in the middle of the night to take little walks in the woods the whole time we've been out here?"

Copper's heart stopped beating. "What?" _Oh, don't tell me that he followed me out there—_

"I know you heard me. Answer the question, _now_."

Copper didn't know what to say. He was in shock that his worst fear had seemingly come out into the open. How was he going to tell Chief, his mentor, his father-figure, that he had obviously betrayed everything in the laws of nature to help out a fox family in danger?

"Well, yes, but I can explain–"

"_Explain?_ Explain that you've been hanging out with a bunch of game animals?" Now he was really closing in on him, and Copper could see almost every white fang as he started baring his teeth. "Explain that you've been keeping stuff behind my back? Do I really look that stupid to you?"

"No, I never said that you were–what were you doing spying on me anyway?"

"Because I was worried about you, Copper! You haven't been sleeping well, and I happened to wake up just when you were leaving and wondered the heck you were doing."

"So he followed me out into the woods and _spied_ on me? Look, none of that was any of your business! You didn't have a right–"

"Don't try pinning this on me, sonny, I'm not the one who betrayed their breeding and started associating with the wildlife. You keep that up and every wild critter in the forest will think us hunting dogs are wusses."

"Don't be ridiculous," Copper glared. "I didn't hurt anyone, so just back off!"

"You little _brat_. I taught you everything you ever needed to know, and this is the thanks I get? You getting friendly with a bunch of foxes? You _know_ how I feel about foxes–"

"Look, Tod did not cause your accident!" As soon as he said Tod's name he wished he could take it back. It was bad enough having Chief find out they were friends _now_, much less having none him since puppyhood.

"Tod? This fox has a name? How long have you known this guy?!" Chief was really starting to looking evil right about now and Copper was scared he might get jumped.

_May as well admit it, now that I've opened my big mouth_. "Since I was a pup."

Chief was in total shock. Copper, the pup he had raised practically all of his life, had been keeping a secret friendship with a fox almost the whole time they had known each other. He felt...betrayed. Ever since he had taught the young dog the ropes in hunting, the Master had seemed to like him better. And now he was shoving it all in his face by having been friends with one of the prey?

"And this...Tod...he was the one from the train accident?"

"Yes...but it wasn't his fault, I let him go, and somehow he managed to get up to the tracks and—"

mwahaha! Left you with the ultimate cliffhanger!! What will happen now that Chief knows about Tod? Will Copper get into huge trouble about this? From the way things are looking, I'd say YES. But you'll have to read the next chapter to get the full picture, so be patient and PLEASE review!


	13. Feelings of Betrayal, Part Two

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Okay, here's the followup of the cliffhanger! And be prepared for more action!

Forever Young: You'll have to keep reading to find out, mwahaha!

Anonymous but Impressed: Yes, I feel sorry for both of them too, but maybe that just comes from being a sympathetic doggy lover. Keep reading!

Cathy: Chief finding out about Tod was one of the points I wanted to highlight, b/c I think it would be impossible for Copper to keep that secret forever! No, I'll tell you right now that Amos won't find out they're friends. Yeah, Calvin is quite a hypocrite!

Frostbite Obsessive Idiot: Wow, thanks! Okay, here's part two!

A/N: I'm trying to make these chapters as long as possible, because I have to start getting ready for college soon and won't have time to update until I get the Internet up and running from the school!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Thirteen: Feelings of Betrayal, Part Two**

Hearing Copper say all this things caused something inside Chief's head to snap. He flew towards the pup with full force, sharp fangs gleaming, claws outstretched. Before Copper had completely comprehended what was going on, he found himself in a massive dog fight with his father-figure. Both of them were snarling, biting, clawing, practically trying to rip each other's throat out—Chief out of absolute anger and betrayal, and Copper in self defense.

Copper's mind went blank and he became a raging ball of fury as he attacked the older dog with equal force. He didn't even realize that their fighting had woken just about everybody else up, and it wasn't too long that he felt somebody grabbing his collar and trying to pull the two dogs apart—Amos.

"You two stop it!" the Master demanded in a gruff voice, and Copper obediently did as he was told in a split-second. But all in the same time that the man had grabbed the two dogs by the collar, Chief was still fuming mad and unconsciously buried his teeth into his Master's hand.

Amos pulled back, grabbing his now bleeding hand. When Chief realized what he had done, he shrank back and ran underneath the jeep for safety, whining the whole way, tail tucked between his legs in shame.

Copper's mind was in a haze while the men got Amos some first aid for his gashed hand. _What just happened here?_ He felt absolutely betrayed, Chief had completely lost his mind and tried to _kill_ him! He was a bit upset for a good five minutes, but he started thinking again–

_It's my fault_, he realized. _I helped Tod out, which was a good thing, and I kept it all a secret. But–But I had to! It was the only way, I had no choice! Oh, this is almost as bad as the whole train accident thing! But it was MY choice to help Tod, so it's my fault...MY fault. I chose to keep it secret, and now look what's happened. Chief's mad at me and he's possibly going to get in a LOT of trouble, and the Master's wounded. Why is it that when I help one friend out, it winds up hurting everybody else?_

He was so busy thinking these things, that he didn't hear Belle approaching. "Copper?"

"Huh? Who–oh, hi, Belle," he responded a little sadly. "You didn't–see all that did you?"

She nodded slowly. "What was all that about? I thought you guys were friends."

"Well...we are. It's just that–" No, he couldn't tell her about Tod, not yet. "Chief found out about something I kept from him intentionally and he blew his top is all. I don't blame him really. I would've done the same thing probably if it was all the other way around."

He saw his Master, hand now neatly wrapped in a bandage, storming over to the jeep where Chief was still claiming sanctuary. Then he got a thick rope out of the back and tied the dog up to the back bumper so he couldn't try attacking people anymore. The dog was still whimpering, extremely apologetic in what he had done, but Amos didn't speak "dog" so of course he didn't notice this. Copper sighed, and then he noticed that somebody was missing from the crowd.

"Hey," he started to ask Belle, looking around. "Where's your Master and Buster at?"

"Oh, they went hunting earlier this morning, to look for that devil cat," she told him. "The Master made me stay behind because he didn't want me getting hurt."

"They went to look for that cat? Don't they know they're going to get killed by the thing if they don't leave it alone?"

"I tried telling Buster, but he's stubborn and won't listen to anybody. I think they went up somewhere around the mountains, close to the borderline of the hunting ground."

Copper's eyes widened. _The borderline of the—oh no. Tod and Vixey are right there! What if the devil cat gets to them? Or what if Buster finds them?_

Belle noticed that something was bothering Copper, and she gave him a worried look. "Copper? Are you okay? Something wrong?"

"Sorry, can't explain right now, but—I've got to go do something!" Copper fled from the campsite, tearing through the shrubbery, leaving behind a perplexed Belle behind.

* * *

Buster was ambling through the rocky terrain, his Master–Calvin–quite a distance away. The Rhodesian was determined to find that devil cat before anybody else, and frankly he couldn't wait to get famous from this trophy he hoped to aquire. But so far, he hadn't even seen a footprint, and was getting discouraged—not a good thing. And being hungry didn't help either. 

He was so hungry that it didn't take long to get a whiff of something...delicious. Kind of tangy, kind of sweet, and still...alive. Surely the Master wouldn't mind if he killed a little morsel to tide his aching stomach over until dinner. The Master wasn't anywhere in sight yet, so he followed his nose until he reached...a den. The closer he got, the closer he realized that what he was smelling was..._ yum, fox family sounds pretty good right about now. I wonder if they have any cubs..._

The huge dog made his way towards the den, growling all the while, when suddenly out of nowhere a strange figure attacked him from behind, knocking the Rhodesian down on the ground by the nose. Aggravated that he had been interrupted, he looked up to see...

"You," he snarled, teeth bared. "Stay out of my way, pup, I'm getting me some breakfast."

"You can't do this, Buster," Copper growled back, positioning himself in front of the den's entrance, the fox family still sleeping. "You're not getting any fox today, not with _me_ here."

"Then I guess I'll have to settle for _you_!" he threatened, jumping towards him aggressively. This was it...the fight to the death.

Dun dun dun! Buster vs. Copper has taken physical action, ladies and gentlemen! Who will win? Will Tod help out? Will the devil cat show up? Will Copper and Chief ever be friends again? Keep reading to find out, and PLEASE review!


	14. Fight to the Finish, Part One

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

The Next Political Dynasty: Don't cry yet, there's still more to come! Lol, I almost cried myself when I wrote that last chappie!

Anonymous but Impressed: Intense, yes. Never fear, things will look up in the end! Good guess on Tod helping out, so keep reading!

Forever Young: Oh, the drama! But don't worry, things do get better...but first the action!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Fourteen: Fight to the Finish, Part One**

The sounds of a fighting Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Bloodhound mix awoke the sleeping fox family up. Vixey kept her protective paws around her babies while Tod peered out to see what was going on.

"Oh my gosh!" he gasped. "It's Copper, and he's fighting some huge dog!"

"Well, do something about it, Tod!" Vixey pleaded, but her husband had already tore out of the den and collided in the middle of the fighting hounds. Buster was flung backwards into a tree, dazed temporarily. Copper stared at Tod, surprised he was helping.

"Tod, this is my fight, you don't have to get involved!"

"You helped me out, so now I'm helping you out!" the fox insisted, and before long all three of them were clawing at each other again. The young hound and the fox were a pretty good match for Buster—he was a good-sized dog and neither of the other two could have fought him alone, unless a human intervened right before somebody died.

Calvin heard the sounds of his dog in a killing fight, and hurried to see if he had maybe found the mountain lion. What he saw was Buster ripping up his brother's dog...and a fox? Calvin smiled. Maybe this hunt wouldn't be so bad after all... He lifted his gun to shoot Tod square in the head but the sight of something deadly stopped him. Before his very eyes, the mountain lion he'd been tracking showed up on top of a nearby boulder, eying the three fighting animals. They were disturbing his sleep, he had been up all night hunting for food. Plus, this was _his_ territory, and they were invading.

The devil cat let out a high-pitched yowl, and pounced upon the unsuspecting trio, bouncing all of them off the side of the near hill and they all tumbled down into the small valley. Copper and Tod gasped when they saw the huge cat, screaming his anger before charging again. Buster, in a state of shock, hid himself behind a bush. _Let the cat do the work, then I'll finish them off before getting HIM!_

Vixey didn't dare move from her den with the cubs, not with that hunter nearby. He seemed to be having some difficulty loading his rifle, but it wouldn't have helped any because in frustration, he started banging the gun with his fist and it fired into the air, knocking him backwards and hitting his head on a rock—knocking him out.

Copper and Tod acted defensively against the mad lion, trying to dodge its claws and teeth as well as possible. But the cat sunk his thick, sharp claws into Copper's backside and the hound let out a howl of pain...which traveled and echoed through the forest. Tod tried to help, but the lion backslapped him into the side of a tree, causing him to become disoriented and useless. Now it was just the cat and the dog...natural enemies...only one was larger.

* * *

"Now, where has that Copper pup gone off to?" Amos muttered to himself. He hadn't seen the dog since he pulled him off of Chief earlier. He looked over at his other dog, still tied to his jeep's back bumper. "And I have _no_ idea what got into _you_."

Chief had calmed down a lot since he got into huge trouble with his Master. He hadn't meant to explode at Copper like he had, but he did and he felt extremely sorry for it. It wasn't Copper's fault. It was _his._ Copper hadn't told him about the fox, which was possibly a good idea, the old dog had to admit. The youngster was scared he'd get into trouble about it, and he was right. He _did_ get in trouble about it, but he certainly didn't deserve getting his ears ripped to pieces. _If only I hadn't been so hard on him...some friend I am._

Chief laid his head down on the grass, trying to think of a way he could possibly apologize for acting insane earlier, when a very interesting sound entered his hearing. His ears perked up in an upright position to hear it better. It sounded—like a howl of pain...a call for help. It sounded familiar...

_Doggone, that's Copper!_

Copper was in serious trouble, he could feel it. He'd known the pup ever since he first arrived as a speechless puppy on their farm, so he would recognize his howl anywhere. _I'm coming, Copp–Ow!_ Drat, where had that rope come from? Oh yeah, he was tied up to the truck.

The Trigg hound started barking loudly at his Master, trying to get him to understand that Copper was in trouble and needed help. But Amos was still ticked off about his dog attacking him, accident or not, so he just said,

"Will you shut up?! I'm not letting you go!"

_You big stupid, Copper's in danger!_ He kept on barking and whining in attempts to convey the message, but it was apparent that Amos would be of no assistance. He was going to have to do it himself. Chief started tugging backwards on the rope, hoping that maybe his collar would pop off if he pulled hard enough...ah ha! It worked!

Chief shook his head a little before charging into the wilderness, barking his head off, and finally getting the attention of his owner. Amos looked up in time to see the rope and red collar on the ground by the truck and his dog tearing into the forest.

"What is with my dogs, these days? One's missing, now the other one's running off!" he muttered, grabbing his gun and racing after him.

And the calvary is on it's way! Will all be okay in the end? Who will survive this deadly array of fighting? Gotta keep reading to find out, and please review!

ACCORDING TO THE MAIN PAGE, NO POSTING WILL BE ABLE TO BE DONE ON THE 17TH AND 18TH, SO I'LL HAVE TO UPDATE AFTERWARDS, WHEN I HAVE TIME. B/C I'LL BE BUSY MOVING INTO MY COLLEGE DORM! BE PATIENT!


	15. Fight to the Finish, Part Two

Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

Anonymous but Impressed: Yep, pretty actiony! Keep reading to get find out what all happens!

JUST ONE MORE CHAPPIE TO GO!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Fifteen: Fight to the Finish, Part Two**

Tod was still unclear on his vision, and completely helpless against a lion, and very useless in helping Copper out. Calvin Slade was still unconscious, therefore useless as well. Buster was still waiting for the lion to beat Copper to a pulp, then he would come out and finish off the dog, then kill the lion—who would be weak from fighting.

Copper was lying on his side, staring up worriedly at the enraged feline's heavy paw as it lifted up to slap the dog once closed his eyes, not wanting to see his own blood splashed on the ground when the cat made its move, but suddenly he heard the sound of...barking? Then a flash of grey appeared and the devil cat found himself being assaulted from behind.

The golden-furred fury yowled as a dog he'd never seen before started clawing his back and tried yanking his short ears off with a set of sharp teeth. Copper looked up dazedly, still affected by the gash in his side, and saw...

"Chief?"

The older dog had gone into fighting mode as he kept the mountain lion off Copper's back, being careful to dodge the deadly claws. He may have been several years older than the other members, but one must remember that Trigg hounds happen to be one of the faster, more agile members of the hound family. It didn't take to much attempt to jump when the devil cat slashed out his paws, or prance out of the way when he made an advance move.

Barking loudly and deeply, he kept the cat distracted from the wounded Copper. Right now, that was all he cared about. When he saw that youngster being rampaged on by the lion, all he could see was an innocent pint-sized runt of a puppy needing life-or-death help...just like the good old days.

Tod finally shook the vapors from his head and managed to stand back up again. He was momentarily surprised to see Chief there, but he figured if he was going to risk his neck saving Copper, then surely a young fox could do the same! Besides, this was his way of thanking his old friend for helping him move his family out of harm's way.

Buster realized that things were not going his way. Chief had gotten in the way and ruined his perfect plan, and now the Rhodesian was fuming mad. He gave a slight roar as he jumped from his hiding place towards the old dog. Luckily for Chief, Tod happened to be there, and the fox knocked the angry Buster backwards and kept him occupied.

And unfortunately for Chief, Buster had distracted enough attention from him to turn his head for a slight moment, giving the devil cat a good time to unsheathe his claws and slap the old dog into a huge rock, knocking him out.

Copper managed to stand himself up, ignoring the terrible pain in his side, but he saw his father-figure in danger, and had to do something about it. Obviously, the old dog wasn't mad at him anymore, since he came rushing to his rescue, and Copper was going to do the same thing for him.

He buried his teeth into the lion's neck and clamped down hard, making the cat release Chief from the dirt. The huge animal tried clawing Copper away, but the dog somehow was able to keep pushing the claws away from him with his front legs. Meanwhile, Tod and Buster were still going at it, and both of them were still in good shape, not having too much damage to each other. That is until Buster caught the fox off guard and backslapped him hard enough to knock him out.

Just when Copper thought he was going to die from exhaustion, he heard a loud noise ring through the air and the cat made a yowl of pain and jumped into the air, before landing on its side and groveling in agony. Confused, Copper looked up to see Calvin Slade, finally having awoken from his spell, holding his rifle in firing position, grinning at the screaming cat.

"I've got you now, you sick kitty," he muttered, aiming once more for the cat.

Just when he was about to shoot again, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around...then got punched in the mouth. It was Amos, having finally arrived at the scene after trying to find the escaped Chief, and he believed he had arrived just in time.

"Calvin Jeremiah Slade, what do you think you're doing with that mountain lion?" he asked him angrily. "You could get arrested for shooting that animal!"

"Do I look like I care?" Calvin shouted, pushing his brother aside, but another voice stopped him from taking another shot at the cat. It was his friend Wally Jones, the manager of the Regional Hunt. He had followed Amos out there when he saw that something was up.

"Put the gun down, Calvin," the mustachioed man said firmly. "Just because you're my friend, doesn't mean I'm going to let you shoot that endangered animal. In fact, I happen to be a government official, and I have every intention of turning you in. You're going to be in a _lot_ of trouble."

Calvin looked shock. "But-but-That cat almost killed my dog, then attacked me, and–"

"Well...you _are_ in his territory," Wally shrugged, watching the injured beast take advantage of the interruption and take off through the rocks. "Let's go, Slade."

Calvin was reluctantly dragged away by his "friend" to get prosecuted for endangering the life of a protected species. Amos waved good-bye from where he was, and said,

"I'll take _real _good care of your dogs for you!" _Looks like I win the bet, little brother._

Down on the ground, Copper was trying to nudge Chief awake, who was still lying unconscious. "Chief? Chief, wake up, I'm sorry about everything, just _please _wake up!"

Finally the old dog cracked his eyes open, slowly waking up, and looked up into Copper's worried face. "Hey there, half-pint."

The young dog grinned at the old nickname. "Hey, old-timer. Geez, you had me scared for a minute. I, uh, thought you were mad at me."

"I was, got over it. You didn't honestly think I was gonna let you have all the fun, did you?" he lightly joked, standing up on all fours. "Seriously, when I heard you screaming, I forgot all about being mad and nearly had a fit when I saw that crazy cat about to have you for breakfast." Pause. "Besides, I always thought of you as a son, so I guess paternal instinct must've kicked in or something."

Copper grinned ear to ear at that last sentence, and pulled Chief into a hug. A little shocked at this sudden display of affection, the old dog glanced around a little to make sure nobody was watching before giving a hug himself.

"Aw, isn't this sweet?" an evil voice said in a sickeningly sweet voice. The two dogs had completely forgotten about Buster, and the dog had a killer look in his eyes. "Everybody's so happy. You guys are friends again, the cat didn't kill you, and Belle has a crush on the pup. Nice. So, shall I be the first to say—Prepare to die!"

But before Buster could make a move, Tod (who had finally gotten over his unconsciousness), slammed into Buster from where he was. The Rhodesian was taken aback and startled. He backed up a few feet, before losing his footing on the side of the cliff and...slipped, plummeting into the bottom of the ravine, never to be seen again.

The two dogs blinked before either of them said anything. "So," Chief said. "This guy's your friend, huh?"

Woo-hoo, what a fun chappie to write! Chief and Copper are friends again, Buster is bye-bye, Calvin is jailed, the mountain lion wasn't harmed to bad, and Tod's family is safe! But that's not the end of the story, there's one more chapter to go!


	16. Back Home

1Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Company, not mine...unfortunately.

Forever Young: Yep, that's how they end up together! And this chappie shows the result!

The Next Political Dynasty: Thank you, and omg I have to start moving in tomorrow! AHH!!

Freddy Voorhees: Yes, I agree, Disney should hire me! Just kidding! Keep reading!

Anonymous but Impressed: Glad you liked it! Keep reading!

Lone Wolfdog: I cry through it too! And I STILL shut my eyes when the train hits Chief off the bridge!

narfgirl: I know the feeling, lol! Glad you're liking it and keep reading!

**The Fox and the Hound 2: Friends in Need**

**Chapter Sixteen: Back Home**

It had been about two months since the events had taken place at the Regional Hunt. Since Amos' brother had been jailed for shooting at a mountain lion, his Blue-Tick Hound Belle had come to live with Copper's family. Which was now even bigger...Belle had given birth to three adorable puppies one month ago and Copper was the happiest father imaginable. There was two boys and one girl: Ace looked like his dad, and was the level-headed thinker; Smoky was black with tan markings, and was a bit of a rebel; Beulah looked like her mom, and she was a little princess.

"Tell the part about the mountain lion again, Dad!" Smoky pleaded, jumping up and down on his little paws.

"No, the part where the bad guys go to jail," Ace insisted, pushing Smoky out of his spot.

"I want to hear how you and Mommy got together," Beulah told Copper, getting a grossed out look from her brothers.

"Sissy stuff!" Smoky grimaced, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

Copper started laughing. "Why don't I just tell the whole story again, so you'll all be happy?"

"Fine with me," Ace admitted, placing himself in between his mother's front paws and Belle ran over to join him. Smoky ran and crawled on top of Chief's head...his favorite spot to sit.

"Uncle Chief, did you and Dad really beat up a mountain lion?" he asked, looking down from where he was.

"Heh, you bet, kiddo."

"I bet you could've beat up twenty of 'em, huh, Uncle Chief?" the little black and tan puppy asked, his tail just a-wagging.

Chief got a look on his face that signified "No way, I don't think I could survive the pain." But to humor the kid he said, "Well, maybe _two_."

* * *

Widow Tweed looked around her empty house. She had forgotten what it was like to be lonely, since she had Tod for company. But ever since she had to give him up, she'd been extremely lonesome. She had hoped one day maybe she would get to see Tod again, but she was beginning to think that was a silly thought.

She was about to put away some dishes in the sink when she heard some scratching on the door. _Now who could that be?_ Curious, she went over to the front door and opened it.

"Hello?" she asked, but there was nobody to say "hello" to. She scratched her head in confusion but then looked down and gasped. "Tod?"

The red fox was sitting on her front porch, swinging his bushy tail back and forth in happiness before sitting up on his haunches in a begging position. Widow Tweed leaned down and gave him a tight hug.

"Oh, Tod, I thought I'd never see you again!" she cried as she held him. Tod gave her a squeeze back, then wiggled out of her choking grasp. He turned and gave a bark, and out came what Widow Tweed figured was his wife...and children!

"Oh, Tod, you're a family man now!" she exclaimed softly, not wanting to startle the creatures. "You've found a friendly looking girl, didn't you? And these children are _adorable_!"

She wanted so much to pick one of them up, just as she had done with Tod when she found him by her fencepost. But she knew she couldn't. They belonged in the wild, and she knew that taming them would only cause problems in the problems.

She gave Tod another hug while saying, "I wish you the best of luck, and remember that you always have a place here if you need it."

With that, the fox turned tail and exited the yard with his small family—the cubs now old enough to run on their own—and returned to their forest home.

**THE END**

**STORY WRITTEN IN MEMORY OF:** The "real" Buster, who all in all was the best hunting dog in the history of dogs and not such a bad guy. His death taught me to look before I leap.

Also, each of Copper's puppies (and Belle, too) are animated versions of dogs I knew. Ace and Smoky were the Copper and Chief in my childhood (Ace the reponsible one, Smoky the reckless one), and the girl dogs were based on the real Smoky's mother.

STAY TUNED FOR THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY, A TWO-PART STORY PARTIALLY STARRING ALL THE CHILDREN: **THE FOX AND THE HOUND 3: THE NEXT GENERATION.**


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